How Much Value Does A Gold Watch Lose When It's Polished?
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- It is no secret that polishing a watch removes metal, but when it comes to a gold watch, removing too much metal can be one costly experience!
So in this video, we're going to polish a $40,000 gold Rolex watch that's not in the best shape to determine how much gold it actually loses in the process.
For this, we sought the help of the best watchmaker we know, Chrono Sky (Instagram link below).
/ chronosky
It just so happens that in a prior video we has already calculated the weight in 18K gold of this watch (Rolex Yacht-Master II reference 116688) to be 210.6 grams, so we'll also provide what percentage of its gold weight the Rolex watch loss.
You'll learn some interesting things from our findings, which will help you save a lot of money with the maintenance of your gold watches going forward! Oh, and you'll also get to guess how much gold the watch lost from polishing.
Happy Guessing!
Also here are some helpful links to our social pages and important section of our website: 🔽🔽🔽
Instagram (where we post a lot of daily watch deals):
/ crmjewelers
Chrono Sky Website
chronosky.com/
Sell your watch here:
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Sell your gold here:
www.crmjeweler...
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![Super Scratched Rolex Yacht-Master 40 116622 | Polish Refinish Restoration [ASMR] | Watchtrader & Co](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AqqdR63Utxo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Super Scratched Rolex Yacht-Master 40 116622 | Polish Refinish Restoration [ASMR] | Watchtrader & Co](/img/tr.png)
A watch without any scratches is a watch that hasn’t been enjoyed 😉
Spoken like a true watch purist. I like it 😉
Or has been enjoyed to the point it needs polishing
Scratches hold sentimental value, they said lol
@@Zov631 yup, to some people they do.
👌
My intuition (before watching the video, at minute 1:40). If the watch cost $40k , 20-25% of that is the value of actual gold, so say $8k , if you got 6.775g I assume it will have 6.7 after polishing so about 1% loss, making the total value of gold lost $80
I was expecting such a little amount.
Most watches in my collection were brand new when acquired, but when I bought used watches with some marks on them:
- For polished surfaces (mirror look) I use "Cape COD" polishing clothes for a professional finish.
- For brushed surfaces I use the green part of bicolored (yellow/green) Scotch Brite. Yes. Being very careful to brush strictly on a straight direction. If you are crafty with steady hands, you also can obtain professional results with this simple and cheap method.
Interesting video, but how much weight does the ultrasonic cleaner remove from getting all the gunk out between the crevices? I would bet that is a significant amount of the 28g difference.
Great point
It’s a difference of 0.03g, not 28g!
28g's....lol
Exactly
Magic in front of your eyes. Love these uploads and beautifully edited. Thank you CRM. ❤️
Ha Ha, thank you Edward. Thanks for your support on all our videos!
@@Crmjewelers thank you for creating great content for me to watch. 👍
I said about 40 bucks and this was in Oct. 2024 when gold is higher than when this video was made.
Debo decir que me encanta el giro que este canal dio cuando Erick se fue. No quiero decir que los videos de él no me gusten, pero me alegra que no hayan 2 canales iguales y eso se resume en más contenido. Muchísimas gracias
Muchas gracias Jose. Nosotros decidimos dar ese giro para poder crear un nivel de contenido mas diverso y no solo dar opiniones sobre los relojes. Por eso hemos crecido mas en 5 meses que en los últimos 3 años.
@@Crmjewelers lo felicito de verdad
De nuevo gracias Jose. Estamos muy agradecidos!
Bidi bidi bom bom
LOL, my wife was watching Selena's movie on Netflix last night 😂
wearing a gold as everyday and not wanting too many scratches can be quite expensive. you not only lose gold but the grinder guy needs his gold too. i would rather the finest stainless steel for that reason. thank you for the upload
Overall it looked ok once but done, a bit disappointing to see some of the crisp edges lost around holes and bevels on case and band and clasp.
Funny, the number that popped into my head at the beginning was $37. Go figure. My understanding about Platinum is that polishing reorganizes the same metal to restore the polish rather than remove it. Is that true?
LOL, you should play the lottery more often Robert! And yes, you're correct about platinum. That should make for an interesting video as well.
Very informative and precise.
Thanks a lot for your efforts.
Thank you so much Obaid.
@@Crmjewelers most welcome...
What is the starting price of a polish for a gold watch from this watchmaker?
I have a 2 tone DateJust. I paid $125 for a jewler who's an authorized Rolex Svc Center to polish the bracelet only for i think $125 or so in the Los Angeles area.
Is there a way to add a silicone layer or smth to protect it?
Great video!
Would laser welding the scratches add more gold to it?
It depends on how well or how poorly the polishing is done. If sharp corners are ground down or the shape of the case is changed, that will have much more of a detrimental effect on the value of the piece than the sheer quantity of metal removed.
It's a combination of maintaining the original contour of the watch with the least polishing possible 🤷♂️
@@Crmjewelers I've seen plenty of Royal Oaks with the edges rounded off and knurled rolex bezels with the ridges ground smooth by ham-fisted clods who didn't know what they were doing.
Yes, so have I.
This's why I don't polish my watch after too many scratch I just throw my citizens alway 😁
LOL, you wouldn't want that Citizens losing any gold.
Don't Lie now, you know you're too broke to throw even a Citizen away...
Lmaoooo
This is a great video and informative too. 👌😊 Thanks for sharing 😊
Terrible polishing, everything is rounded, the real murder of the unfortunate Rolex...:((((((
Good video and love that watch! I have the same but oyster steel. Sure a keeper.
Another awesome video CRM, I am glad to see that a proper watchmaker or should I say trustworthy watchmaker is what we need to look for when looking to polish gold timepiece or any timepiece. The price to properly disassemble and assemble a timepiece before and after polishing is priceless. Thanks CRM!
Thank you so much for your continuous support in our journey to 1M subs Nickel! 😉
@@Crmjewelers oh man, I can’t wait to celebrate with you guys when it hits 1M from up north in Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦
We will definitely throw a big party to celebrate when that happens and you'll be invited! 😉
@@Crmjewelers 🥳 woohoo I am going Miami to celebrate....you guys rock. When this 2020 pandemic is over and I save up for my grail watch eventually, I am coming to celebrate my milestone with you guys.
Nice man, we'll do a live stream if you're not camera shy, maybe even make it into a RUclips video. Fan Travels 1500 Miles to Get the Watch of His Dreams 😉
Very helpful and informative video!
Thank you Peter. What was your original guess?
Wow it looks like a „lot“ of material was removed from the clasp’s edge in the area left and right from crown. The shape changed a bit around 4:11.
that's just the perspective of the camera.
The problem with this video is that they didn't ultrasonic cleaned the watch before putting it on the scale pre polish.
I'm pretty sure 50% of that weight loss is grease, hairs, and dirt.
Doesn't matter. gold value increasing will result in the watch be worth more in the future anyways.
Great minds think alike! First, take care of the beauty; Second, service it what every 5 or 10 years? In that amount of time the value will surely have increased
The gold in the watches are only 15% of the watches price. So it makes zero difference what the price of gold is...
@@vika0194 Find it hard to argue with that logic, really. Back in the day, the gold was the way. I mean yellow gold. Not white. I prefer the stainless or white gold, personally.
@@micway71 I also like white gold more than yellow gold but it can depend on the jewerly and if it’s combined with steel or similar.
2:50 can someone explain what that stone is ? and why it is used?
The real reason polishing drops value is because it almost always affects how it looks; it generally loses the sharpness and definition of the lines, and the brushing isn’t as crisp. It honestly ruins the aesthetics unless someone who specializes in refinishing high-end watches does it.
Yes, you are right. Both the RSC and non-RSC polishing horror stories abound!
Well...this dude seems to have specialised good...no damage of shapes...even engravings
It’s less of an issue with the ceramic models than it was with the 4 and 5 digit stuff. Well except for Daytonas which still have a sleeker case.
This might be one of the reasons for the maxi case apart from larger cases being trendy.
absolutely correct! even this honestly pretty good refurb job isn’t 100% up to Rolex / Swiss Atelier standard. Very good video though!!
@@TheNamsorg Rolex don’t really do a great job with their polishing, they seem to take off wayyyy too much metal and re-proportion things. I would go to a good jewellers who would do a light job like in this video
Precious metals are not weighed in American ounces which is 28 g roughly rather they are weighed in Troy ounces which is like 31.1
How much does polishing affect a watches value tho ? A lot more than $37 that's should've been discussed. True Rolex fans dont buy polished watches
Purists might not buy a polished watch, even it has been lightly polished, but the great majority of consumers will. So in the end, it depends on the type of buyer. On average, a light polish will not really affect the price of a watch significantly.
@@Crmjewelers That's honestly the wrong answer, Polished watches go 10% to 20% undervalue especially if it wasn't done by a reputable company so the answer should've been it depends on the polish job, Maybe a job from Rolex won't affect the value better job from a guy down the street definitely well I just pass on the 5711 blue face that was polished for 70 K and if it wasn't I would've paid 90
Thank you for this useful lesson 🙏
My pleasure Richard. Thanks for watching.
Do the ultrasonic clean before the weighing
We actually did a pre-clean before the initial weigh in.
Why high end watch brand dont use for example anti scratch coating? Is it possible?
Hello do you also do sandblasting on the Rolex bezel.
Yes 👍
Refreshing and intersting video! Thanks for that.
My pleasure David. Thanks for watching. Were you surprised by the total amount of gold that the watch lost during polishing?
Lovely job
Out of interest have you ever weighed 2x the same watch brand new and never worn/polished?
Interesting to see if rolex have factory weight tolerances
Yes, that would be interesting indeed Aaron. We'll have to do that one day. This is the first time we ever measured this.
@@Crmjewelers all interesting stuff....for us watch geeks 😂
Enjoyed the content
Regards Aaron
Rolex most definitely have weight tolerance. Gold isn't cheap.
I have always heard the value of the gold coming off pales in comparison to how much more it would have been worth with the scratches and no polish.
In the resale world, a scratched watch with no visible reworking is worth more than a shiny, but less detailed watch
It also depends on the age of the watch and the person buying it. A lot of people don't really want to buy a watch that's scratched up. To each his own.
@@Crmjewelers treat it like a car. Are the scratches good or bad vs how old it is? Same thing in my eyes
I'm not arguing how it should be. I'm just telling you how a lot of buyers that come to us think. Everyone is different.
@@Crmjewelers I fully agree with you. You're not the biggest market in the industry
@@rajgill7576 the feeling is mutual 👍
i would never polish my datejust, because i really don't care about scratches. i enjoy wearing it everyday like a part of my life
Stop lyin
If I buy a used watch, I would like to get it polished like this one time and then put my own scratches from my life on it.
What would be a good alternative to high-karat gold? It could be matte finished, but that only masks the scratches and marks. Brass, bronze and gold-plating could be employed, but it may result in additional problems. Low karat gold, 10k, for example, might solve some of the problems, but then high-end makers would need to come down a tier or two and lower their prices. When gold cost almost nothing - $20 an ounce - it was almost never used. Instead makers used plating or filing. Another issue is that gold, for the most part, is no longer as popular as it once was, due to price and other considerations. Watches in those days cost almost nothing, by comparison to today, when one could easily spend a car's budget simply on a watch.
Titanium is a good choice. Hublot is using titanium for there big bangs. Titanium is better against scratches and is light.
Just buy gold. This video is outdated. You can lazer weld new material to the case. Some Rolex service center offer it. Rolliworks is considered the king of this. After polished it will be factory new.
Are you guys measuring weight in troy or avoirdupois ounces? Thanks.
1 oz = 28.3495 grams
1 troy oz = 31.1035
Weight Loss During Polishing = 0.03 oz
Weight Loss x Price of Gold x 0.75 = Value of Gold Loss
[0.03 oz x 28.3495 oz/g] x $59/g x 0.75 = $37.63
Just because it is traditional to quote precious metals in troy ounces, it doesn't mean that you can't weight them in any unit you want. I mean, gold is not going to mind.
Since we originally weighed the gold in regular ounces and took the price of gold in grams (because there's no such thing as troy grams), we simply converted ounces to grams.
It's a faster way to calculate the value loss, otherwise, we would have to have converted the ounces read by the scale to troy ounces, then multiple by the price of gold in troy ounces. Either way, the answer is the same.
That’s why platinum watches is the best metal for long term. The metal doesn’t come off it get polished and smirked around
We will do a video on a platinum watch soon.
@@Crmjewelers you guys are doing really well on the social media part of the business I can see. Despite all the hate you got after Eric left you guys are doing a great job and I’ll continue support you! Keep it up
Thank you my friend. We really appreciate it 🙇
What is the 0.85 from?
Ahah, crazy good questions, and efficient answers, that izzz CRM JewelaZzzzz xD ! My guess was 25$ :) Thanks for the great content you always have !
Thank you Benjamin for your support in our quest to 1M subs. That was a darn good guess by the way!
Well the polish took off 2k in value if you know what your looking at but second hand noob buying a gold yacht master maybe added 1k in value. Lugs and profile is shot.
There are actually a lot of watch fans that won't buy a gold piece unless it's polished. Everyone is different and has different taste.
That's my point. Retail there is always a buyer. Personally I polish my watches. Not a fan of the weathered look. Maybe worth less money, than again they are not for sale anyway. @@Crmjewelers
What i learned from this is simple don't buy a gold watch just get a stainless steel one instead
Maybe you like gold. 🤷
does loss of actual gold from polishing relate to loss in value due to polishing? Don't most people want their watches unpolished? I'm confused
Not necessarily. A lot of clients want their watches polished, but there are people who don't. Everyone is different.
Very interesting et very useful video. Must be watched !
Thank you for watching.
Re-polishing any Rolex by anyone but Rolex is a MAJOR SIN!
Then you haven't read horror stories about Rolex Service Centres (RSCs) in Reddit. Don't judge a book by its cover.
@@Crmjewelers It’s alright! I’m happy to judge Rolex “by their cover!” Lol. In my experience Rolex is the best! Also, don’t believe what you always read on the internet! 😉
@@adamsharif4589 that goes double for Reddit
What about the depreciation of a "polished watch" on the grey market?
A watch without scratches is one that I'd like to own
What did the jeweler charge for the “ Polishing” ?
Very interesting👍Thank you
Thank you very much man!
Why does no one create protection film for watches
Great info. I also wear an 18k watch and ring for a good a amount of time and they all have scratches everywhere, I mean a lot of scratches. Especially when getting stuffs in my locker, opening doors etc. I guess I’ll just keep those two that way.
history of a watch, can be seen w/ those scracth...
But some people hate the scratches. Everyone is different. 🤷
Re-finishing just destroys watches, god or steel. All the trouble the manufacturer went to to get crisp angular detail is destroyed.
I mean yes, from a purist angle, but no, from the angle of many other consumers who won't purchase a watch unless it's polished. It's a matter of preference.
@@Crmjewelers Do you not think it is down to the trade to enter into dialogue with customers? Unpolished, so-called "restored" or refinished watches are becoming really difficult to find. With respect it seems that everyone is following the crowd. Take the Rolex Oyster steel bezel, the old angled one, not the newer radiused version. From what I see, that component is irretrievably damaged (loses its crisp angular detail) by polishing. I'm not in the watch trade so apologies, but have retailers tried giving customers the option of refinishing or not? I presume, watches that have not been re-finished fetch more money at auction than watches that have - like for like. Just a thought. It would be a great experiment?
very informative, thank you
Thanks for watching Ali 🙇
Finally found a Rolex watch who someone enjoyed
Ha Ha, that's what it's all about.
Excellent video, thank you!
Thanks for watching 👍
Great content
Thank you very much!
Another TOP NOTCH CLASSY video by the one the only CRM Jewelers 👊🇺🇸
Thank you my friend for your continuous support in our journey to 1M!
I would send it to manufacturer for any kind of restoration/refinishing stuff.
Then you haven't read the horror stories on Reddit about some of the RSC disasters.
@@Crmjewelers whats RSC? No idea how Rolex service is but Zenith and Tag Heuer both did absolutely perfect work for me
How much cost for asking to polish by professional guy like him ??
It matters for the cost too.
For a polish like this $180.
@@Crmjewelers , so after losing $37.63 of material plus $180 labor do you think the watch gained at least that sum in market value because it looks nicer ?
@@mrrightnowww what do YOU think?
@@priscilaguimaraes2732 , i don't know , which is why i asked a professional ..
The first weighing included all the dirt. You should have done it after cleaning, then cleaned again after polishing.
The watch was already pre-cleaned without disassembly to start.
@@Crmjewelers thanks for clarifying 👍. You did a great job on the video.
@@RedShiftedDollar thank you man. Really appreciate it.
Boom! Thank you!
I purchased the yachtmaster 2 in stainless steel from an AD recently. I seem to have buyers remorse for some reason
It was that bad, huh?
It’s nice don’t get me wrong but I think I should’ve bought the DeepSea and had change instead. What u think as a dealer ?
I'm a YM2 fan myself, so my opinion would be a bit biased 😉
Im guessing your wrist is on larger side. Id go for james camaron edition over ym2 any day if the week. Ym2 dial just screams busy imo..
@@Crmjewelers why is it that the YM2 is the only Rolex steel sports model that trades under list ? 🤔
Depends on the use of the watch. If you want to resell then don’t polish.
I’m buying my wife a gold datejust and I’m going to have it polished.
I’m surprised they don’t braze more gold onto the watch and then polish it.
Yikes.
Robert Bruce ?!? I used to do exactly that with brass stock if it was undersized...
10 bucks or less is my guess
I think it loses it that just by wind friction.
lol this is why my mom tells me i cant polish my chain
Mother knows best.
The value will be much higher. Watches Always loose value when polished,when buy in the secondary narket collectors want watches as close as possible as how they got out of the ateliers.
Not actually much higher for modern watches if they're polished carefully.
You didn't say how much it cost to polish it up. ..however, if you can afford a watch like this, it doesn't really matter, I guess.
Great video. I have a gold sub and when it gets banged up I’m getting it polished. It’s worth the clean crisp look!
If it makes you happy man, go for it. Not everyone is into polishing watches though.
I don't mind scratches on my invicta! When it gets too bad I can buy another one for $90
This is why i like my $60 stanles steal armitron that you can now find for $30
It s not about the grams that it looses, it s about the original patina that in time it will lose value
Yes, that's why you should minimize polishing and take great care of a watch.
I guessed 25$
Good one Mason!
Kinda weird that the value in a gold Rolex would mostly be in the material. It’s a Rolex, not a block of gold, the brand name and exclusivity have waaaay more to do with value than the material.
Also, if you want to minimise the amount of gold lost, wouldn’t you want to polish by hand?
We're not saying that the value of a gold watch should mainly be based on its gold content. In fact, we made another video about that. We're just simply addressing a curiosity that many people have. It's not economically feasible to polish a watch without machinery unless you do it yourself.
@@tomw485 yes, read our comment above.
You should try this with a platinum watch. I’ve heard that platinum retains more material than gold after polishing.
Yes, you're correct. Platinum watches are a los more difficult to polish.
@@Crmjewelers We would love to see that video. Please make one when you get a platinum watch for service.
Oh, we're making one guaranteed Hasin.
@@Crmjewelers I would love to see this done for steel too!
Yes, we're going to do a lot of steel watches too!
Pretty sure anyone who owns a yacht master II could give a shit about losing $37 to make it look like new. It probably cost them 10 times that for the service alone to be done.
You're right. Most won't care.
I guess 75$ dollars will be lost. My guess @ 1:41.
oops I was off the mark :) imo I would only polish this beauty before passing it down to my Son.
I said 40$ since you mentioned the process and filters
That’s why I bought a 2 tone sub. And I was even leary about buying it. Ur better off with an all stainless sub if you can find one that is.
Are the stainless subs rare now?
Extremely
I was thinking $30 if you were real careful, and I'm happy to be real close!
Yeah, if it would have been a light polish due to minimal damage, it could have been even lower than $30. Good guess by the way.
precious metals are weighed in Troy ounces which is 31.1 grams to the ounce and 12 oz to the pound.
Troy ounce is used to quote precious metals in ounces, but that doesn't mean you can't weight them using other units and come up with the same answer in a calculation.
@@Crmjewelers it wasnt nothing derogatory, it was just a simple comment to the novices out there who might get the wrong idea about precious metals weights, and not knowing the difference between AVDP and Troy. Thank you for responding, though. I should have been clearer, I do apologize.
31.103*
I think a watch can only polish once in a lifetime because you lose gold when you polish a watch.
Not very much but yeah you should not expect to do this more than once or twice
@@bigfootsburneraccount9160fact
Im also a goldsmith i say use tambling machine
Michael Jackson really needed those finger gloves
Instead of those xxxs condoms
Bonjour, serait-il possible de protéger la montre avec un revêtement de nano céramique pout empêcher les éraflures?
Jamais vu
Annie from jooltool can polish without removing metal, with the magic 3m wheels! /s
$350.00 lost guess
Will edit lol
$37 I thought it was the value it lost lol
You forget the price of the operation, I assume you can multiple the cost of the gold you loose by 10 to obtain the real cost, defenitly not a profitable day 😁
I don't understand what you mean exactly.
@@Crmjewelers the price you pay the profesionnal to do the polishing
u forget to calculate the dirt that was removed by polishing so maybe $25 only lose
The initial watch was prewashed without disassembly, so the video is accurate.
@@Crmjewelers ok because the preaching not on the video
what happened to eric? Only reason I subbed to this channel
Eric left and started his own channel after the first quarter of 2020. Our channel has gone in a different direction since that time, away from just opinionated reviews to a more complete representation of the entire watch and jewelry industry. Now we're focused more on showing detailed breakdowns of how things look inside, how things are made, etc. As a result, we've grown more during these last 6 months than we did in the last 3 years. However, we realize that a lot of people don't really want to learn how stuff works and just want someone's opinion on a watch. As a result, we will never be able to please those subscribers and instead ask them to kindly unsubscribe from our channel and follow Eric's. It sounds like this might be the best course of action for you. 🙏
@@Crmjewelers both channels are good for me, I like the direction you guys have taken answering a lot of questions that I’ve always wondered but no one had an accurate answer for. Keep up the good work!
Thanks man 👍
@@YumboYack2521 amen
How about jubilee bracelet vs oyster ? I'presume jubilee bracelet will lose more gold after polishing
The topic of a future experiment 😜
Please
I wonder if it counts if you only service the watch ever 7 years and have it polished 🤔
I don't understand what you're asking exactly.
@@Crmjewelers i was saying that if you only service the watch 3 times in 25 years and have it polished each time, you’re not losing that much money in the long run
All that gold dust that's been adding up
I’m sure people that could afford expensive watch’s don’t care about losing $80 a year 🤷🏼♂️
It's not just about the dollar value of the gold loss. It's that if you don't minimize polishing, the watch will lose long term value as well and become less collectible.
@@Crmjewelers I don’t care 🤷🏼♂️ about that I don’t even know how to tell time on a watch. I just wanna say I have a gold Rolex 🤷🏼♂️
@@dylanmartino7975 most people don't really use a Rolex to tell time LOL
@@dylanmartino7975 the shorter hand points to the hour and the longer hand points to the minutes. The numbers are 1 to 12 and the minutes are 1 to 60, but watches don't usually have the minutes on the dial, just 60 little lines around the edge. When the hands are in-between numbers, then it's between hours. Some watches don't have numbers for the hours either, like the Yacht Master II in this video (the numbers you see are for a complication that counts down minutes for timing the start of a yacht race, or anything you want to count down). On those watches you look at the big markers instead for the hours.
OK. $37.63 lost in the amount of gold in the watch by polishing it. Meh.
How much did the polishing process cost the owner? That would be more revealing.
Still, if it were polished 156 times there would be half the original gold left.
You’ll probably polish that watch several times
Not bad, I thought it would be about a $50 loss of gold.
Good guess nevertheless Sean.